After falling in love at first sight, Hargitay and Peter Hermann have been married for nearly two decades. Christopher Melani, who portrayed detective Elliot Stabler on the show and was Hargitay’s co-star, explains how the enviable love story got started.
When Hargitay, who portrays the valiant Lieutenant Olivia Benson, first saw Hermann, who had joined the show as a guest star and was playing defense lawyer Trevor Langan, she fell in love.
Meloni claims that she began acting like a schoolgirl, but he knew she had never acted that way as a result of anyone else because he had known her for so long.
She made an effort to hide her feelings for Hermann, but anyone watching her could see them. “Oh my God, it’s like I’m back in high school, or even grade school,” says Meloni.
Soon after, they began dating, and Hargitay says their first date was “too good to be true.” Hargitay hesitated when he asked her to accompany him to church because she was in the process of moving that day.
The actress, however, only agreed to go to church with him after some prodding. He assumed that when she started crying during the sermon, it was because the sermon had moved her.
It turned out, though, that she was sobbing because she suddenly realized Hermann would be the man she would wed. The mere idea that she had found her husband brought her to tears because destiny was at work.
The two started dating after their first outing and even had plans to get married and have a family. In an interview with People, she revealed:
“We were aware of our desire for marriage.”
But after a while of dating, Hargitay showed up at work one day looking dejected. She explained to Meloni that she and Hermann had a lengthy conversation and decided their relationship would not last.
She admitted that they had both sobbed while speaking. All Meloni could think about as Hargitay described her difficulties to him was how the two of them would eventually find each other and wed.
They did, too. After settling their differences, the couple reconnected. A few months later, on Hargitay’s 40th birthday, Hermann turned to her and knew he wanted to be with her forever. He remembers:
“I believe I got a glimpse of what she looks like when she is planted and is in the soil that she was intended to be planted in. I wished I could be that soil. That sort of thing!”
The couple wed on August 28, 2004, in Santa Barbara, California, after three years of dating. Although they both agreed that they had found “the one,” they were unaware of how wonderful their relationship would end up being. They were happy they had taken the time to find and wed the right person.
Hargitay and Hermann were delighted to learn they were pregnant almost two years after they said “I do.” Long before they exchanged vows, the couple knew they wanted a family of their own.
Hargitay claims she was ecstatic. No one wanted to be pregnant more than she did, so as soon as she learned she was expecting, she began dressing like a pregnant woman even though her stomach was still flat.
She had hoped that the pregnancy would go more smoothly, but that did not happen. She started turning to food for comfort as a result of the stress of longer workdays and the show’s long hours of production. She had gained a lot of weight by the time she entered the third trimester, which led to the development of gestational diabetes.
On June 28, 2006, Hargitay and her husband welcomed their first child, a son named August, at the age of 42. Despite experiencing pregnancy and labor complications, she was overjoyed to become a mother.
The couple revealed that August wanted siblings a few years later. As both of Hargitay’s parents came from large families, they desired the same for their own families. They adopted Amaya Josephine, whose birth they attended, because they felt they had plenty of love to give.
Son Andrew was their third child, whom they adopted and brought home six months later. The actress admitted that although she and her husband had not anticipated adopting Andrew, they had no doubts about their desire to do so.
Although Hargitay acknowledges that motherhood has not always been easy, she claims that it has been rewarding. She had to figure out how to balance her work and family obligations, but she did a great job. She clarified:
“It’s tough. I won’t say it’s simple; it’s challenging. I’m getting better at [balance]. I make a point of being completely in the moment. I only work when I’m working. I am always with my children when they are around.
A HAPPY FIVE-PERSON FAMILY
Even though 18 years is a long marriage by Hollywood standards, Hargitay and her partner have worked hard to make it work and have become one of the industry’s most forward-thinking couples.
Hermann acknowledged that there is no magic formula for a happy marriage and that they, like everyone else, were still working through it. However, he acknowledged that adhering to the fundamentals was crucial:
“That doesn’t mean they are simple, but they are not overly difficult. The basics are kindness, attentive listening, and just combat.
The “Hard Time Romance” actress and her husband enjoy a happy marriage and are proud of their offspring. The five members of the family are steadfast and steadfastly supportive of one another.
Celebrate important occasions, as Hargitay did on her Instagram page for their 18th wedding anniversary. The actress shared a picture of herself and her spouse taken on their wedding day in black and white along with the caption, “Eighteen years. Grateful. in a relationship. Together.”
